BJP, NPP stage walkout from J-K assembly

Opposition BJP and National Panthers Party (NPP) members today staged a walkout from the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after the speaker rejected their adjournment motion over Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's comments about accession of the state to India.
The BJP MLAs had submitted an adjournment motion yesterday demanding a discussion on remarks made by the Chief Minister on the conditional accession of Jammu and Kashmir to Union of India during a meeting with a European Union Delegation.
However, Speaker Mubarak Gul rejected the motion saying the members who have moved it should go through the history.
"The adjournment motion is disallowed as the Chief Minister has said those things on the floor of the House (also). It is history," Gul ruled.

Angered by the speaker's ruling, the BJP members were joined by three NPP MLAs in slogan shouting against the government. They staged a brief protest inside the House, facing the media gallery, before staging a walkout.
Omar, during an interaction with a delegation of ambassadors of EU member nations, had said while other states had merged with Union of India after accession, Jammu and Kashmir had only acceded to the federation on four matters of currency, communication, foreign affairs and defence.
"While all the States acceded to Union of India and then merged with it, the Jammu and Kashmir only acceded and not merged. That is why we have special status, our own constitution and the State Flag," he had said.